The Zonal Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, South-East Chapter, Alhaji Gidado Siddikki, has claimed that its members are being detained without trial at different correctional centres in Anambra State.
Siddikki also alleged that some of its members have been labelled as kidnappers, armed robbers and clamped into detention by the police for over five years without trial.
He stated these while briefing journalists in Awka on Sunday, just as he appealed to the Anambra State government through the Ministry of Justice and the prison authority in the state, to look into the matter, with a view to putting an end to the development.
He said, “The leadership of MACBAN in the zone is currently sad about the way herdsmen are been dehumanised and labelled kidnappers and armed robbers in the region.
“We are here for our business, of which we are all aware that it is the ranching of cows in the bushes and not for criminal activities.
“So many of our people have been in the prison yards for more than five years without the state government looking into their case file or giving them a trial. All this hatred is caused by some disgruntled elements living with the Igbo who do not like Fulani in the religion.
“Wherever they see a Fulani man, because of the hatred, they will report him to any nearest police station via a weighty allegation, whether he committed the offence or not, and the Police will arrest him, charge him to court, and afterwards, the herder will be dumped inside the prison yards and their file kept in court custody without trial.
“That is why, on behalf of MACBAN South East, I am appealing to the Anambra State government, through the Ministry of Justice and the Prison Authority in the state, to look into the matter, so that our people that are in prison custody will either be freed or sentenced according to the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, after trial.
“The association stands on its position that any Fulani herder who is caught in any criminal act in the course of discharging his legitimate business will be dealt with in accordance with the laws of the association.
“MACBAN, under my watch in the South East, will continue to support the social-economic development of the region.”
Efforts to get the reaction of the Anambra state government through the press secretary to the governor, Christian Aburime, proved abortive as he referred our correspondent to the state Attorney General/Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Chika Ifemeje.
But Ifemeje, on her part, did not also respond to several calls and messages to her telephone on the development.
However, when contacted on the telephone, the Public Relations Officer of Prisons Service in the state, Mr Frank Kez, denied the allegations by the Miyetti Allah group.
Kez said, “It is not true. The group should get their facts right before going to the press. We are not the ones to give the facts. If their members are being detained without going to court or without trial, they should approach the courts to complain, that is the proper thing to do.
“There are no issues like that, we don’t have any persons that have not been tried in custody, so anyone or group that feels they are not getting what they want from the court should seek legal redress.
“We don’t have any persons called Miyetti Allah or herdsmen in our custody. It is not a name of a person, the people in the custody bear names, the group should mention the names of their members in our custody.”
Also reacting, the state police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said, “It is not true. The police don’t have the capacity to detain someone for over five years without trial as alleged.”